Meet The Author
June 2026
Alessia Cordella DVM, PhD, DECVDI
Ciao! I’m a radiologist from Italy, currently Assistant Professor of veterinary radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. I obtained my veterinary degree from the University of Bologna (Italy), and I then completed my residency and obtained my PhD degree at Ghent University (Belgium). I love cats, tattoos, and tennis. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, trying vegan restaurants, and, above all, relaxing with my fur babies.
Ultrasonographic features of feline renal neoplasia: a retrospective study on 187 cases
Alessia Cordella, Jennifer Lenz, Mileva Bertal, Manabu Kurihara, Agustina Anson, Federica Serafini, Helen Dirrig, Linda Dillenbeck, Stefano De Arcangeli, Wilfried Mai
The Study Background
I chose to conduct a study on the ultrasound characteristics of feline renal tumors because I find feline kidneys particularly fascinating, and I also believe that improving knowledge in this area could provide useful clinical information and contribute to better diagnostic approaches in feline oncology.
What is the primary knowledge gap your study aims to address?
Few studies have described the ultrasonographic findings of feline renal lymphoma and feline renal carcinoma, with only isolated case reports mentioning the imaging appearance of more uncommon renal tumor types. However, comprehensive studies detailing and comparing the ultrasonographic features of various renal tumor types in a large feline population were lacking.
The Study Design
The study is a multicenter retrospective study, including cases from seven different institutions (University of Pennsylvania, École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, North Carolina State University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, Purdue University, Royal Veterinary College and Colorado State University) in a 15-year period. The primary objective of this study was to describe the ultrasonographic findings in cats with confirmed renal neoplasia and to determine whether these characteristics vary among different tumor types. A secondary objective was to evaluate potential differences in clinicopathological changes among cats presenting with different renal neoplasia.
What are the main study results?
Lymphoma was the most common renal tumor in cats; nephromegaly and a hypoechoic subcapsular rim were the most common ultrasound features of renal lymphoma, reflecting diffuse lymphocytic infiltration. Lymphoma was commonly associated with bilateral disease and a higher frequency of azotemia on presentation. Carcinomas most often present as single, heterogeneous renal masses and with more marked renal pyelectasia. Multiple nodules were observed in sarcoma and lymphoma, and half of the sarcomas presented as a single, hypoechoic, heterogeneous mass.
Were there any unexpected results or challenges during your research?
Expected challenges and limitations were mainly due to the retrospective study design and the subsequent lack of standardization. Some of the included tumors had different features when compared to the more common ones, for example, some lymphomas were unilateral; a few lymphoma cases had hypoechoic mass-like tissue surrounding the pelvis. This location fits the anatomical position of the renal lymphatics, but this finding was not previously described. On the contrary, some carcinomas were bilateral.
Takeaways from this study
Certain ultrasound characteristics (bilateral nephromegaly, subcapsular hypoechoic rim, nodules or masses) may help in the differentiation of renal tumor types in cats; additionally, cats with renal lymphoma generally present with worse renal function than carcinoma. Some overlap exists, therefore cytology (or histology, when feasible) is still needed for definitive diagnosis.
What future directions would you like to explore based on this study?
The US findings described in this study are not specific to neoplastic disease, and further studies are therefore warranted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of abdominal US in differentiating neoplastic from non-neoplastic renal conditions with these characteristics in cats.
